Never misuse power, says Odisha CM Majhi to new batch of sub-inspectors

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday called upon the newly inducted police sub-inspectors to uphold the highest standards of discipline, integrity and professionalism while protecting the innocent and dealing firmly with criminals.

Addressing the passing-out ceremony of the 13th batch of cadet sub-inspectors at the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy here, Majhi gave the young officers three key mantras - stay completely away from corruption in line with the government’s zero tolerance policy; maintain the highest discipline in uniformed service and never misuse power.

“No criminal should escape and not a single innocent person should be harassed,” he said and urged them to discharge their duties with the motto of ‘Service and Security’. A total of 336 sub-inspectors, including 70 women, joined the state police after successfully completing two years of rigorous indoor and outdoor training. The significant representation of women reflected the changing social landscape and women’s empowerment in Odisha, Majhi said.

The chief minister said the police uniform represented not merely authority but a constitutional responsibility to serve society and protect the vulnerable. He urged the new officers to adopt the principle of ‘smart policing’ by remaining responsive to emerging challenges such as cybercrime, technology-enabled offences and modern forms of criminality.

The chief minister said law and order is crucial for industrialisation and development of the state over the next decade to realise the goal of a developed Odisha by 2036.

He said the government was according priority to modernisation of the police force and human-resource development. In the last two years, 17,794 new posts had been created in the police department, while 5,817 posts had been filled. Required number of vehicles and fuel allowances were also being provided to improve the functioning of police stations.

The chief minister reiterated the state government’s resolve to make Odisha a drug-free state by 2029. He said Maoist violence had been brought under control in the state under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Majhi felicitated cadet P Nalini Rao for securing highest marks and receiving the Governor’s medal. Rao was awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000. Tejaswini Mohantary, Yudhisthir Behera, Laxman Kumar Mahanta, Sasmita Khuntia, Niharika Tripathy and Ashutosh Nayak were also awarded trophies and prizes for excellence in training.

DGP in-charge Vinaytosh Mishra urged the officers to serve the public with courage, dedication and integrity and stressed the use of technology and smart policing to tackle emerging challenges.